Dahua’s new technology reduces Chinese mountain wildfire by 80%

by Featured NewsFirefighting EquipmentProductsThermal Imaging

At the beginning of 2020, Dahua Technology provided an intelligent forest fire prevention monitoring system for Rizhao. This solution gives an automatic early warning of fire, real-time fire control and closed-loop response through digital intelligence technology, significantly improving forest fire prevention and dispatch.

Mountainous regions, like Rizhao in Shandong Province of China, are vulnerable to forest fires. Recognised by the United Nations in 2009 as one of the most habitable cities in the world, this city consists of 4,358 mountains, with a forest area of 1,400 square kilometers that account for 70% of the region.

Up until now, forest rangers have manually scouted and monitored the area, walking nearly 10 kilometers of treacherous trails for several hours a day.

The Illegal wood burning in the area, if not controlled properly, can lead to a disastrous wildfire. According to a World Health Organization report, in 50% of wildfires recorded, the cause that triggered them is unknown.

At present, high-altitude dual-lens thermal imaging cameras cover the main mountains in the city, carrying out 360 ° remote monitoring 24/7. This solution also offers real-time sensing and intelligent management of people and vehicles coming in and out of the forest areas.

Furthermore, to reduce false alarms, the system adopts algorithms for deep smoke and mountain scanning, thus improving the accuracy of real fire alarms and saving manpower and material resources.

After half a year of operation, the system has detected more than 30 real mountain fires. The average number of fires found every day during fire season has significantly decreased by 80% compared with the initial stage of the project. This reflects the effectiveness of the solution in fire monitoring and the increasing awareness of villagers regarding fire safety.

Overall, this solution helps guarantee the safety of 1,400 square kilometers of forest resources in Rizhao.

Major fire forces road closure in Wiltshire

by ActiveFeatured News

A fire in an large home caused a major road to be closed in Wiltshire, with plumes of smoke covering the skyline in the nearby area. The Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the property in the Westbrook near Bromham, just off the A3102.

An official statement from the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 6.59pm this evening our Service Control Centre received the first of multiple 999 calls to report a property fire in Westbrook near Bromham.

https://twitter.com/DWFireRescue/status/1494408374917775365

“Initially crews were dispatched to the incident from Calne and Melksham. Firefighters quickly requested support and we currently have 15 fire engines, three water carriers and an aerial ladder platform at this incident (approx. 75 firefighters).”Crews are dealing with a significant fire in a large property. The A3102 has been closed and will remain closed overnight while we deal with this incident.”

An update earlier today from the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have reduced our attendance at this incident over night. 20 firefighters remain on scene. The A3102 remains closed to allow us to deal with the incident. The road will remain closed for some time yet. A fire investigation into the cause of this incident will begin as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Triangle Housing awards SPIE fire and security maintenance contract

by Building ManagementFeatured NewsFire DetectionIndustry SectorsProducts

SPIE UK has been awarded a fire and security reactive maintenance and serving framework contract by Triangle Housing Association, a major provider of supported living, resettlement accommodation and support for people leaving hospitals in Northern Ireland.

SPIE UK will be responsible for the servicing and maintenance of fire safety equipment. This includes fire alarm systems, domestic smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, emergency lighting, firefighting equipment, smoke vents, door access controls, nurse call systems, warden call systems and other specialist fire safety equipment in accordance with Fire Safety Regulations.

On top of this, SPIE will provide a 24-hour reactive response and repairs service across all of Triangle Housing’s properties. The framework contract has been signed for an initial 36 months, with the option to extend it by a further 36 months if both parties agree to.

Andrew Fleming, property assets manage, Triangle Housing Association said: “We feel confident that SPIE UK will help to guarantee that safety over our large and varied estate and support our vision of building better lives together.”

Jim Skivington, divisional managing director, SPIE UK said: “We are delighted that Triangle Housing Association has given SPIE UK the responsibility of maintaining the fire and security equipment and systems across its estate. Our highly skilled team takes its responsibility to Triangle Housing and its tenants very seriously and we look forward to a productive future working relationship.”

The 36-month contract will see SPIE working across Triangle Housing’s 1,000 property estate and provide 24-hour reactive response.

Fire breaks out on ship carrying Volkswagen and Porche vehicles

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsPorts & Maritime

A 650-foot-long cargo ship carrying Porche, and Volkswagen cars caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship’s 22 crew members fled the scene thanks to rescue works carried out by the Portuguese Navy.

Built in 2005 Felicity Ace can carry up to 4,000 cars. The vessel was on its way to a port in Davisville, Rhode Island, having set sail from Germany’s Emden.

The ship sounded the alarm after a fire broke out in the hold, the Associated Press reported.

Portugal’s navy said one of its patrol boats and four merchant vessels were helping with the rescue. Portuguese air force aircraft were also mobilized.

Both Volkswagen and Porche released separate statements, acknowledging an incident had taken place on a vessel that was carrying their vehicles among the cargo on the ship.

Porche in its statement said that ‘it’s thoughts were with the 22 crew members of the merchant ship’. The statement also reaffirmed that the Portuguese authorities had rescued the crew members.

The Portuguese Navy has said there are no further details about the recovery operation, but the ship is said to be drifting eastwards.

Global fire alarm and detection market to reach $53.15bn in 2032

by ActiveBreaking NewsFire DetectionHealthcareIndustrialIndustry SectorsPorts & MaritimeProducts

The global fire alarm and detection market is expected to be $53.15bn in 2032 expanding at a CAGR of 6% from 2022 through to 2032. The market is currently valued at $29.68bn in 2022.

The increase is forecasted to comes from a demand for developed fire safety systems in mining, automotive, petrochemical, oil and gas exploration, and power and utility sectors.

Rising deployment of fire alarm and detection systems across educational institutes and increasing awareness about its benefits among residents for fire detection systems are key factors propelling market expansion during the forecast period. Furthermore, ongoing technological developments in fire detection and alarming devices is expected to boost the industry’s growth in the coming time.

In addition, the advancement of wireless and remote function fire detection and alarm systems are anticipated to offer significant opportunities for expansion in the evaluation time.  

The Covid-19 pandemic ushered in a change in the demand and consumption pattern of fire alarm and detection systems. With increasing hospitalisation rates and shift towards remote working, the need for residential and healthcare setting oriented fire safety protocols have increased, leading to growing sales of fire alarm and detection systems across these domains.

Key players in the global fire alarm and detection market have adopted various strategies of mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. In August 2021, ProPharma group acquired iSafety Systems, an Indian pharmacovigilance service provider.

Then in July 2021, ICON plc acquired a CRO, called PRA Health Sciences. The objective of the acquisition was to increase the services portfolio of ICON plc. In October 2020, Honeywell rolled out its first tools from its new suite of Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS), which is its first all-in-one cloud platform for fire safety systems.

London Mayor consults residents on guidance to improve fire safety

by Building ManagementFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is spearheading important fire safety improvements
in the capital. The London Mayor has launched a full public consultation
on innovative draft guidance to ensure all new developments are designed with
the highest standards of fire safety from the earliest stage, keeping
Londoners, their property, and the fire service safe.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, in which 72 Londoners tragically lost
their lives, Dame Judith Hackitt’s Review highlighted the need to transform the
fire and building safety regime. Dame Judith recommended that ‘some minimum
requirements around fire safety will need to be addressed when local planning
authorities are determining planning applications and will require input from
those with the relevant expertise’.

Khan has a strategic planning role for the city and his ‘London Plan’ sets
out guidance for development and building across the city.

He has also reiterated that the fire safety requirements in existing
national Building Regulations are not fit for purpose and the progress of
reform is too slow. With this draft Fire Safety London Plan guidance, Sadiq is
leading the way in London to ensure fire safety is embedded in the early stages
of all planning processes.

This guidance sets out how developers should demonstrate compliance with the
Mayor’s detailed London Plan policies to achieve the highest standards in fire
safety and ‘safe and dignified’ evacuations. This is in addition to the
Government’s fire safety considerations that apply only to a limited number of
buildings at the planning application stage.

The draft guidance also highlights that it is the responsibility of
developers to demonstrate that their developments can be constructed and
occupied safely with regards to the highest standards of fire safety, in a way
that won’t impact neighbouring buildings. To ensure this, the design of the
development needs to consider fire safety and the safe and dignified evacuation
for all from the outset – for example, where a fire engine will park in the
event of fire, whether there is a safe and accessible evacuation route for
occupants, whether the external walls are made of non-combustible materials and
what fire safety measures will be incorporated into the buildings.

Drager partners with the Fire Service College

by Featured NewsHealthcareIndustry Sectors

Dräger, a medical and safety technology company, has partnered with Fire Service College (FSC). Together furthering technical innovation through the optimisation of SCBA product development, firefighter training and communications. 

The FSC, owned by Capita, delivers training to all UK fire and rescue teams, as well as defence, national resilience and critical national infrastructure, and is recognised as an international leader with delegates from across the globe regularly utilising its expertise and facilities. Located on a 320-acre former Royal Air Force airfield, more than 7,000 delegates a year train using every scenario imaginable across domestic and industrial buildings, a ship, aircraft, motorway, train set/station and high-rise buildings – all of which are used for real fire and rescue scenarios on a daily basis. The FSC puts a strong emphasis on interoperability and large-scale exercises.

Dräger’s relationship with the FSC spans more than three decades, and includes the provision of SCBA sets supported by bespoke training. FSC instructors are in an ideal position to provide feedback that supports product development, and to act as product ambassadors to demonstrate the manufacturer’s commitment to firefighter safety.   

As part of the new partnership, Dräger will provide the new PSS AirBoss Connect SCBA kits including telemetry, face masks, communications, and cylinders. And in reinvigorating the relationship there will be further joint activities to ensure delegates are provided with the latest developments and industry insight.

Dominik Wellmann, MD, of the FSC, said the partnership supports the college’s goal to use market leading, technical innovation. He said: “A key part of our responsibilities as a world-leading provider of emergency services training is investing in state-of-the-art kit that delivers optimum safety to all of our delegates. As the global leader in fire safety equipment, we recognise Dräger as the ideal partner to support this goal.”

Matthew Bedford, managing director sales and service added: “We’re very pleased to see the new AirBoss SCBA being utilised at the FSC and look forward to receiving feedback. The partnership enables us to support our industry and learn from it. It’s an invaluable long-standing relationship from which everyone wins.”

Building Safety Bill to clamp down on unsafe cladding

by Building ManagementConstructionFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

The Building Safety Bill has added new powers that will see unsafe cladding clamped down on.

Under the new measure developers risk losing planning permission should they refuse to pay the costs of removing unsafe cladding. Projects can also be blocked under government plans.

The measures will also allow for cladding companies to be sued, with defective products earning fines. The proposed measures are part of a Building Safety Bill following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the BBC reported.

People who are currently facing bills of thousands of pounds to fix their homes welcomed the move.

Michael Gove, Housing Secretary, said: “We cannot allow those who do not take building safety seriously to build homes in the future, and for those not willing to play their part they must face consequences.”

Last month, Gove announced that leaseholders living in buildings high than 11 metres will not face costs for fixing dangerous cladding. In turn, developers would be expected to fix dangerous buildings. Failure to do so will result in legal or tax changes, he added.

Leaseholders now have up to 30 years, from the current six years, to sue builders and product manufacturers for defects in England, but there are plans to extend it UK wide.

From UFC fighter to US firefighter, who is Stipe Miocic?

by Americas - Breaking NewsBreaking NewsPeople

Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has been sworn in as a full-time firefighter. Miocic has devoted the last 12 years to an American fire station where he works as a firefighter.

The 39-year-old has been made fulltime firefighter after being put through several rounds of tests and checks. He now serves at the Westlake Fire Department in Ohio.

City mayor Dennis M. Clough described the occasion as a “a historic day for the city of Westlake.”

He previously worked part-time for Valley View Fire Department where he cleaned the toilets the morning after his fights.

Miocic last fought in March 2021, where he squared off against Francis Ngannou, which ended in a victory for the later. The loss also meant Miocic lost his heavyweight honours.

Firefighters in Scotland to carry life-saving naloxone

by Featured NewsHealthcareIndustry Sectors

Firefighters in Scotland will set up a network of volunteers to administer naloxone. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will administer the medicine, which is given as a nasal spray in the event of an opioid overdose to help save someone’s life.

SFRS staff will be given training in partnership with the Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) as part of a £90,000 project funded by the Scottish Government, joining the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland in recognising the role the medication can play in saving lives.

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister said: “SFRS staff regularly interact with the public during operational incidents, prevention and protection work and community engagement and it is reassuring to know that if they come across a situation involving an opioid overdose that volunteers will be able to administer naloxone while they wait for an ambulance to arrive.“Naloxone is one of a wide range of measures being used to address the public health emergency of drugs deaths, but it plays an important role and allows those administering the kits to connect people who use drugs and their families with appropriate local services.

“Of course, we want to help people long before they get to the point of a life-threatening overdose and we are working hard to increase the number of people in treatment backed by total funding of £250 million over five years.”

Stuart Stevens, assistant chief officer and SFRS director of service delivery said: “We welcome funding from the Scottish Government to provide life-saving medication for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“We will fully support volunteers within SFRS to complete training to safely administer naloxone to help prevent avoidable drug deaths from overdoses. This project highlights our commitment to working with partners to improve the safety and wellbeing of the people of Scotland.”

Group Commander Paul Blackwood, pictured giving a demonstration of how the nasal spray works, took part in training from SDF a year ago and is encouraging colleagues to take up this opportunity. He decided to carry naloxone after a personal tragedy.

Paul said: “I grew up in Glasgow and I lost my best friend at the age of 19 from a drugs overdose. This traumatic experience has stayed with me and so it was important for me to volunteer to carry naloxone. I have the kit because I want to be in a position to save someone’s life.”

A naloxone information pack will be available to all SFRS staff. Firefighters who volunteer to undergo training to carry and deploy naloxone will be given guidance on how to identify the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to use the medication to reverse these effects.